Meditation on Mans Mortality, Verse 11
VERS. 11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Euen according to thy feare, so is thy wrath.
THE Prophet in this 11. verse, concludes his Complaint; and in the same complaineth of the dulnesse of Mankinde, that whereas GOD shews such signes of his wrath, they hauehave no sence or vnderstanding of the power thereof.
The second part of this verse, is somewhat doubtfull: word for word in the Hebrue it is thus. And according to thy feare thy wrath. Our Translatours (as you heare) translate it otherwise; and therin follow learned men that went before them. And the words, if necessitie require it, will beare such a construction, and teach a profitable truth; to wit, That howsoeuer the wicked do not know the … of Gods wrath; Yet those that feare God, know and vnderstand the same. But I had rather here take the words more simply, and read them thus.
Who knoweth the … of thine anger; and of thy powerwrath according to thy feare?
That is to say; How rare a thing is it, to finde a man, that hath any true sense and vnderstanding of this thy mightie wrath, or that makes any religious use thereof?
The first Doctrine we hence obserue is;
That Christians ought to marke and obserue the power and force of Gods wrath, in all those particulars, wherein hee sheweth it. It is not enough for vsus to know, that God is a mercifull God, and louing, and gracious, but we must know also, that hee is an angry and a wrathfull God: yea, that he is exceedingly angry, when he is prouoked the vntounto. And therefore we must not onelyonly consider, and vnderstand the signes, tokens, and effects of his louelove and kindnesse in the world, but the signes of his wrath also. For in both he manifests himselfe; and from both he lookes to reape glory: and he is no lesse powerfull in the one then in the other: And in our liues and conversations there is as much use of the one as of the other. Yea, a man shall never be able to discerne or make any good and true use of Gods louelove, That doth not first regard, marke, and labour to vnderstand his wrath.
The second Doctrine is;
That it is not enough to know that God is angry; but that his anger is powerfull, hee is mightie in his wrath, (Vanae sine viribus irae, That anger that is without strength is nothing:) and therefore to bee feared and trembled at. Many of vsus can talke of and obserue the wrath of God in this or that particular: but we use to make a matter of nothing of it; we are not ordinarily affected with it so much as with the anger of any man that hath but the least power to hurt vsus. But the lesse we marke and know it here, the more we shall know and feele it hereafter.
The third Doctrine:
That the greatnesse and force of Gods wrath shines and shewes it selfe in the mortalitie of mankinde aforesayd. So that if there were no other Argument to shew that God is angry, and that his anger is exceeding powerfull; The generall mortalitie of mankinde is sufficient to shew the same. Who can deny that hee was angry when hee drown'd the whole world; when he destroyed the first borne in Egypt; when hee over-whelmed the hoste of the Egyptians in the red Sea; when hee destroyed all his owne people in the Wildernesse that came out of Egypt? Verily if we could well consider of the matter, It can bee no lesse signe of Gods wrath, that at some time or other after, after some manner or other, eueryevery man in the world must die; And that so many Ages before vsus are dead.
The fourth Doctrine.
That it is a rare thing for any man to conceiue aright, or to vnderstand that God is angry: or that there is any such feare in his anger. Many so liue and follow such courses, as if they were perswaded, that God could not be angry, or that, if hee were angry, it were as easie a matter to please him, as a childe. Hence when they hauehave over-shot themselues in any sinne, if they say, God forgiue me, or, I cry God merciemercy, they thinke all is well, and they shall never heare more of the matter. When men trespasse against a man, if they thinke they hauehave hindred themselues by it, how carefull, how diligent are they to pacifie his anger, and to seeke to regaine his fauour and good will againe? Whereas the neglect hereof to God-ward, when they hauehave offended him, sheweth euidently that they little regard his anger, or esteeme it not preiudiciall at all to them.
The fift Doctrine;
That it is not enough, to know the force of Gods wrath; but we must make a right use thereof: Wee must thereby bee stirred vp to feare the Lord, and to tremble before his Maiestie; and take heed how any thing may either incense, or continue his anger.
And we should take heede also how his anger prouokes vsus to anger, or to any sinne whatsoeuer, that may further prouoke him.